(Posted 2024 October)

Meet Danielle Rothrock!

Position: Social Services Supervisor of the South County Unit, Foster Care and Adoption Program within the Children, Youth, and Families Division.

I recently joined the Foster Care and Adoption Program after a long career in therapeutic foster care. My first day was May 6, 2024, and I am excited to be back working in foster care and adoption full-time.  

Ever since I was around 10 years old, I knew I wanted to help children. I remember saying, as a child, that I wanted to be a child psychologist, because grown up problems are too big. Haha! Well as I aged and pursued the career that had always been in my heart, I worked with children and families to assist them.  

My undergraduate degree is a BA in psychology, but when it came time to look into my graduate degree, a Master of Social Work seemed to fit more into my career goals and overall philosophy. I attended George Mason University for my undergraduate degree and Virginia Commonwealth University for my graduate degree. 

I have over twenty years of experience in social work starting the second year of my MSW program when I interned as a therapist with Northern Virginia Family Services (NVFS). After completing the internship, I was able to move into a part-time foster care position, which eventually evolved into a full-time position working with other programs within NVFS. This quickly became a full-time foster care position working with children in foster care and their families as a case manager.  

After moving into a supervisory role within NVFS, I pursued the regional director position at First Home Care, another local therapeutic foster care agency. For five rewarding years, I served as a program manager for the Northern Virginia region overseeing all therapeutic foster homes, case managers, and supervisors in the area.

I ran a child care business for 11 years! After I had my first child, I wanted to spend more time with her. So, I stepped down from my position with First Home Care to open a childcare center to care for my daughter and other children in the community. During this period, I also worked as a consultant completing home study evaluations for foster families in Northern Virginia.

Eventually, foster care called me back to service, and I ended up here with Fairfax County Department of Family Services as a foster care case carrying supervisor. In this role, I oversee caseworkers, the children and families, and collateral providers in serving our families to ensure the safety, wellbeing, and permanency of children.

My favorite thing about my job is supporting my team. I enjoy working with new and seasoned staff in enhancing their skills and service delivery. Drawing upon my 20 plus years of service in the social work field (and more specifically in foster care), I feel that I can bring wisdom and a helpful perspective to my staff. Together we can work to serve our families to the best of our abilities. I enjoy the energy and vitality of the younger workforce and feel that when combined with some wisdom and experience we serve our children and families better. 

Come work with us in CYF. It’s a great place if you are just starting your career or if you are looking to get back into the field and further your professional journey. It’s a chance to be a changemaker that supports the overall safety and wellbeing of our community’s children along with their families. We need you to make an impact.